Battle Of Yamen

Prologue: March, 19 1279

There was no noise that night. Everything was silent except for the crackling of the fire. Everything was gone. I sat alone waiting for something to happen … at least a miracle … that was all. Rain fell on the fire, and heavy winds blew. The Battle of Yamentook away many lives, including my parents’. My family belongs to the Song Dynasty, and we once lived a happy life in Yamen, China. This was until our idyllic life was shattered by the invasion of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. Memories of my parents playing with me faded away. Their faint voices calling me just before the battle was the only thing I could remember now. I fell to the ground. I couldn’t stand any more. Shards of pain shot through my legs. Everything I ever loved was all gone.

Chapter 1

崖山海戰 (Battle of Yamen)

“Liang, run they're coming”

“Father, Mother, I can't leave you”

“Be brave Liang, be brave. Now run, go!”

Those were my parent’s last words. The Battle of Yamen, also known as the Naval Battle of Mount Ya,is the battle that took my parents away from me.

I sat alone on a rock waiting for something - but nothing that I wished would happen ever happened. I decided to walk around and see if I could find a village to rest in. I walked for a long time and found a little house in the middle of nowhere. It was all destroyed and turned to ashes. A family sat outside crying over a body. A girl about my age noticed me and started shaking her mother.

“Mommy, mommy, a stranger” she said, pointing at me.

“Shoo her away. I have had enough today”, the girls mother said.

“But she’s all bloody. She must have been attacked just like us. “

“We lost father. That is all I care about now”

“But…”

“Fine, go help her”

The girl just stared at me. I decided I would walk away but the girl stopped me. “I’m sorry about that,” she said. I stayed quiet. “Here, come this way. I’ll help you”.

Chapter 2

伸出援助之手 (A helping hand)

“Sorry about my mother. She’s kind of… well, I think you know.” the girl said as she led me somewhere. “I’m Shui by the way”.

“Um… I’m Liang”, I said uncomfortably.

A house was standing in front of me, for some reason not destroyed.

“Come on in”, Shui said, as she walked in. “This was my dad’s workshop. He built this when he was around my age with his father. I’m glad it’s not destroyed. Father would have been… well … I guess angry and sad”.

“The Mongols attacked you, didn’t they?” I asked her.

“Yeah. My mom thinks you're one of them, but you can’t be. Can you?” Shui said as she looked at me.

“I can’t be. They killed my parents”.

“They killed your parents?” Shui asked.

“Yes”, I said, as I put my head down.

“So you're all alone now?”

“I guess so”.

Chapter 3

蒙古人襲擊 (The Mongols attack)

Shui showed me a room and handed me some clothes. “You can change here”, she said. Then she left and closed the door behind her. I changed into the clothes Shui gave me - a blouse and a jacket. I opened the door. Shui was outside on the grass. Her black hair looked wind-blown.

“I’m done”, I told her.

“Okay”, Shui replied as she got up and sat. I walked up to her and sat down next to her.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Mother told me that we’ll be going to Nanxiang, a pretty big town, tomorrow. I asked my mom if you could come along, but she doesn't know ... I mean you should come along”, Shui said as she put a handful of grains in her mouth. “ Can you help me get up?”

“Okay?!” I said puzzled,

I helped Shui get up and I noticed that her feet were bound.

“My mom made me bind my feet when I was 3 and now I guess I’m 13, so 10 years ago. It’s really uncomfortable.” Shui said as she noticed me staring at her feet. ”How come you don’t have your feet bound?”

“My parents didn’t want me to and they didn’t know if I was going to be a boy or girl, so they gave me a boy name. But when they found out that I was a girl they made me look like a boy so no one knew who I was”.

“Ohhhh”

A yell came from the distance.

“Shui, come along. We need to get ready for tomorrow!”

“Okay Mom”, Shui replied. ”Come on Liang. Let’s go help my mom”.

“Okay”. I said. I was relieved about finally leaving this war-torn area tomorrow.

Shui and I ran down to Shui’s mom and helped her get ready for our long journey Nanxiang.

Chapter 4

重要な日 (The big day)

Today was the big day. We were all packed and Shui’s mother allowed me to come along.

“This is going to be so much fun Liang!” Shui said jumping up and down.

“Now calm down” Shui’s mother said with a smile. “We have a long walk ahead of us. Can’t waste all of your energy jumping up and down, you silly girl!”.

After Shui calmed down we all set off for our long journey to Nanxiang. Even though the long journey filled me with apprehension and uncertainty, my heart was filled with hope that a more peaceful future lay ahead of me.